The Gracious Loser
by StonedMonkey1
Summary: "Life doesn't get any easier. Let me tell you that from experience. Bad things happen. The only thing we can do, is to try to live for the good." Humphrey never got the life he wanted. With an oblivious mother, pretentious bullies, and a horrible past that's kept a secret, Humphrey will just have to finish high school with what he has. Anthro (Not the average story)


**This story does have a soundtrack I created; it further expresses the story's tone and emotion. If you love music like I do and you want to get a better feel for the story, then the Spotify link in my profile will definitely help! If you choose not to, then that is your choice.**

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><p><span><strong>LINK TO SPOTIFY PLAYLIST IN PROFILE! RECOMMENDED BEFORE YOU READ!<strong>

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><p><strong>Don't have Spotify? There will be lyrics for the song and the Song TitleComposer at the beginning of the chapter if you still want to listen to it on youtube, or another site.**

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><p><em>Bitter is the kiss that says goodbye<em>

_I can hear it in your voice, I see it in your eyes_

_'Cause we've been this low and we've been around this bend_

_I don't to lose you all over again_

_We sing_

_Oh, love, it's easy if you don't try to please me_

_If you don't want to see me any more_

_We sing out_

_Oh, oh_

_Here we go again_

_I know how I lost a friend_

_We go 'round and 'round again_

_Oh, oh_

_Oh, oh_

"**Here We Go" by Mat Kearney**

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><p>The sun had just barely begun to set, reviving the beautiful golden orange and pink atmosphere that I had seen so many times before. The Ocean to the left of me crashed, and fizzled over and over again, spraying the cool, salty mist everywhere. I plugged in my headphones, and put my phone on shuffle. Immediately the song played. I dropped my skateboard and with a mighty push I was off.<p>

My skateboard went over every crack in the sidewalk with a _chuh-chuh. _The navy blue backpack resting on my spine bounced with every crevice, the sweat pouring down my face increased the more I exerted the power into my legs. Everyone and Everything zoomed by me in a flash as I rode down the sandy sidewalk. The happy couples with their kids slowly running out into the ocean, the women tanning on top of their towels, the chubby men eating their ice cream this early in the morning seemed to blur by me as the adrenaline flowed through me like blood.

Everything was Perfect.

Finally as the song ended I pushed the back of my skateboard until it made contact with the smooth concrete beneath it, ultimately slowing me down until I came to a complete stop.

I _popped_ my skateboard up into my fingertips.

Exhausted, and gasping for breath, I leaned over and rested the weight of my body on my knees as I lost my breath. _C'mon not now... Please..._

Quickly I pulled my jacket sleeve up and looked at my special watch. _Blood Pressure... Again... _Sitting on the curb to the building, I waited._  
><em>

Finally as I stopped gasping, I pulled my left arm from the backpack strap that was hanging loosely around my shoulders. The rest of the bag immediately flopped into my right arm with a _Sling!_

I clipped my skateboard onto my backpack via some straps I sewed on to the bag years ago. I unzipped the main compartment and took out my wallet, checked if I had my credit card, and continued inside the building I was currently waiting outside.

The title of the Building read, "LLOTherapy." I entered the building.

"Hello Sir! Welcome to the Losing Loved Ones Therapy building! Do you have your ID, and payment with you?" questioned a young female wolf, probably in her early 17's, that sat at the front entrance.

"Uh Yeah! Yeah right here." I said as I pulled out my headphones, wiped the sweat off of my forehead, quickly sniffled, and handed her my wallet and gave her my credit card while she examined the picture of me and my friends from years ago.

"Wow sir, or should I say Mr.-"

"No Mr. I'm still single." I interjected.

"Still single?" She said as she eyed me up and down. "Hmmm... I'd think you'd be married to the auburn one..."

"Uh no, I've thought about it but things never really-"

"What about the white one?" She questioned. "She seems like your type also."

"Well we're still all really good friends!" I answered as my patience began to slightly dwindle.

"Well Humphrey, You are certainly handsome! But may I suggest that you get a new wallet? This one seems really beat up." She suggested.

"Oh no. I don't think I could let go of this thing even if I threw it away!" I answered as I chuckled.

"Any reason you don't?" She questioned.

"_You're like the son I never had."_

I gulped.

"Sentimental Value." I replied unsure with a half-smile. I held my hand out, trying to get my wallet back. But she continued eyeing me up and down. after many moments she finally handed it back to me.

"Okay, well your counselor is on the door down the hallway to your left." She said as she turned her attention back to the computer.

_Okay… Well let's get this show on the road…_

I thought to myself as I walked down the well-lit hallway and faced the left door. I knocked and opened the door to the councilor I signed myself up for. As the door crept open, I put my arms behind my back and gripped them together tightly.

As the door opened, a girl that sat away from me with a notebook and a pencil tucked into her arm began to slowly materialize with every inch the door expanded. She sat in a brown padded chair that highlighted her greyish brown fur. Her hair was tucked into a ponytail behind her head. She wore a red hoodie jacket and normal jeans. Her glasses were small, but were big enough to fit around her head

"Hello. My name is Humphrey. I'm your 8 o'clock" I said to the woman as she seemed to be lost in thought as she gazed out at the sky from the gigantic window pane behind her. She slowly began to spin herself around in the chair to face me. She took a look at me and smiled a huge smile. _Should I be flattered or crept out? Why was she smiling so big at me? Is that what she normally does? _

"Hello Humphrey. I'm your therapist. C'mon in and take a seat." She said as she motioned me to a chair that was shaped like an obtuse angle.

_Well she certainly is attractive I'll give her that._

The walls were lined with books, newspaper clippings, and encouraging sayings. I paced into the large circalish office and sat down on the chair. I threw my legs to the side so I faced her and I wrapped my hands together and put them on my lap as I leaned forward.

Silence.

She just kept staring at me.

"So uh… How do we do this?" I asked complacently, "I mean aren't you supposed to say "what's your problem?' Then I would say 'Blah Blah Blah my life is bad! Blah Blah Blah!' and then you would respond, 'Well how do you feel about that?" I asked as I smiled and awkwardly chuckled to myself.

The wolf stared at me and a smile began to form on her face, and then soon a chuckle emerged.

_I don't know why, but I feel like I have met this wolf before…_

"Haha well, normally that's how that would go." She responded finally. "But, this isn't a normal session is it?" She said as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"What do you mean? I thought this was all routine for you!" I said with enthusiasm as her smile widened.

"Well Humphrey, due to your ecstatic nature, I'd say you're doing fine!" She said as she pulled her notebook and pencil out of the crook of her arm, and began to write things down. "Normally the people that come in here are worried about therapy. They don't introduce themselves, they don't crack jokes at the beginning of the session, and they tend to keep their eyes… _off_ of the therapist…" She said as she raised her eyebrows at me as her pencil stopped.

It was then I realized that I had kept my eyes on this wolf ever since I came inside of the office.

_Oh nice going genius!_ I thought to myself as I tried to come up with a good enough reason to why I was staring at her.

"Oh I'm sorry; it's a habit. I keep trying to tell my eyes to not stare at beautiful things!" I replied as I chuckled. _Bingo…_

She began to blush.

"And they don't try to flirt with their therapists either!" She said as she laughed. "I bet our admittance lady was trying to get your number?" she questioned me.

"Well she told me I was handsome and tried to convince me to get a new wallet." I said with a chuckle.

"Haha! Of course she would!" She said as she began to laugh.

"But it doesn't matter does it?" I asked her.

Her laughter was starting to die down as she questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Well when I signed up, I distinctly remember putting my phone number on the application. Meaning when she was on her computer she saw it and is probably entering it in her phone as we speak." I said with a smile.

"Wow, you have a pretty good memory! That will do us some good when we begin. _If _we begin!" She replied happily. "What makes you think that she wants to date you?" She questioned again.

"Well I practically had to steal my wallet back!" I said with a laugh.

"She wouldn't give you back your wallet?" She asked shocked.

"Yeah can you believe it?" I said smiling. Showing my teeth.

"That's so rude!" She answered.

"I know right! But it's happened before!" I commented. _It felt… Weird. It was like I was with a really great friend! Not a therapist! If its a different approach, then wow is it working._

"I can tell by your looks, charisma, and your flirttiness that you are probably married, or in a relationship." She said as she raised her eyebrows again.

"Flirttiness?" I asked, as I acted shocked." Is that a real word?" I quizzically asked her as I rested my head on my clenched paw and my elbow on my thigh, completing my "Thinker" look.

She chuckled, "It could be!" She replied with a smile. "Answer the question please."

"Well to be honest Doc, I've never had a successful relationship." I said as I leaned back into the chair, and put my hands behind my head.

"Why is that? I assumed that because of your optimism girls would be all over you Humphrey." She said as she began to chew the soft pink eraser in her mouth.

"Well… Assumptions can bite mam. A lot of people have assumed that I would end up doing something, but in the end they were wrong." I said to her as I turned my head to look at her.

"So people have expected a lot out of you?" She asked as she began to write in her notebook.

"_What did I ever see in you?"_

"I guess you could say that…" I gloomily responded.

"Well before we get started, let's learn about you Humphrey. Where are you from, what's your full name? Yadayadayada…"

"Well as you know my name is Humphrey Felix, and I'm single." I said as I chuckled, and got a smile out of her. "I'm 20 years old. My parents, have passed away. I love comics, my violin, movies, skateboarding, Internet, you know the usual. I'm from Arizona, but I moved to California later in life. Um..." _Might as well get it out there... _"This next part is a little hard to explain."

"Then just try your best." She said considerately.

"Okay..." I calmed myself... Then like a bullet, I winced, and slowly formed my next sentence,"I had open heart surgery at a very young age for abnormal areas of my heart."

"How old?" She inquired, not fazed at all.

"About 3 years." I answered.

"Any long term side effects?" She asked me as she continued to scribble in her notebook.

"Well besides a healthy diet, and constantly watching my blood pressure and cholesterol, I experience shortness of breath."

"Then why do you skateboard?" She asked me.

"I don't know... I just don't want to live my life knowing that I cant do what other people can." I replied wanting to change the subject_._ "I work at Steele corporations, which is one of the biggest technology corporations-"

"Who doesn't know about Steele Humphrey?" She said as she lightheartedly laughed. "Now please go on!"

"Okay, well uh, I'd like to say that I had a hell of a life…"

"Well then, would you like to share?"

"Actually Doc that's why I'm here!" I teased her. "It's kinda hard to keep it all bottled up you know?"

"I understand Humphrey, I'm a therapist. It's kinda my job to listen to peoples stories you know?" She smiled, as she mocked me. "Well then if you're ready to get this show on the road, then go ahead!"

"Where do I start?" I asked her.

"Try to start at the very beginning and go from there." She replied.

"Alright then, the very beginning eh?"

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><p><strong>Hello everybody! Stoned Monkey here for another story! When I wrote, The Wolf without Love, I noticed that many of you wanted me to make a full story. So here I am. This story may be slow in the beginning, but I guarantee it will be way more intense later on in the story.<strong>

**Besides The Wolf Without Love, which I strongly suggest you read as I am the author and I'm shamefully condoning myself... ****I'd say this will be one of my stronger pieces of writing.**

**I wasn't going to upload this until a later date, when I had at least chapter 3 written, but I've been inactive on this site in general for such a long time, that I figured I should post this and see how you guys would like a full story.**

**Anyways thanks for reading, and reviewing (If you choose to do) and I hope you enjoy this story! Have a Wonderful Day.**


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